Afterburn (roller coaster)

Last updated

Afterburn
Previously known as Top Gun: The Jet Coaster (1999-2007)
Afterburn overview.jpg
An overview of Afterburn. Its lift hill, first drop and batwing can be seen in the foreground, with its vertical loop in the background.
Carowinds
Location Carowinds
Park section Crossroads
Coordinates 35°06′01″N80°56′27″W / 35.10025°N 80.94092°W / 35.10025; -80.94092
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateMarch 16, 1999 (1999-03-16)
Opening dateMarch 20, 1999 (1999-03-20)
Cost US$10.5 million
Replaced Wild Bull
General statistics
Type Steel  – Inverted
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard
Designer Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
ModelInverted Coaster – Custom
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height113 ft (34 m)
Length2,956 ft (901 m)
Speed62 mph (100 km/h)
Inversions 6
Duration2:47
Capacity1380 riders per hour
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
Trains2 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
Cedar Fair Fast Lane availability icon.svg Fast Lane available
Afterburn at RCDB

Afterburn is an inverted roller coaster located at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina. After more than two years of planning and construction, the roller coaster opened on March 20, 1999. The ride previously operated as Top Gun: The Jet Coaster, before it was renamed following Cedar Fair's purchase of Paramount Parks in 2006.

Contents

Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, Afterburn stands 113 feet (34 m) tall and reaches speeds of 62 miles per hour (100 km/h). It features a 2,956-foot-long (901 m) track and a nearly three-minute-long ride time. Afterburn has generally been well received, having been featured 11 times as a top 50 roller coaster in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards.

History

In early 1997, Carowinds began consultations with roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard about adding a new ride to their park. [1] During 18 months of discussions, several designs and themes for the ride were developed, including theming it to the Godzilla franchise. [1] [2] In July 1998, the park announced the addition of Top Gun: The Jet Coaster for the 1999 season. [1] At a cost of $10.5 million, it would be the single biggest investment in the park's history. [3] The announcement followed Paramount Parks adding Top Gun -themed inverted and suspended roller coasters to several of their parks throughout the 1990s, [4] including Paramount's Great America, Paramount Canada's Wonderland, and Paramount's Kings Island. [5] [6] [7] To construct the attraction at Carowinds, the park's Bayern Kurve ride, Wild Bull, had to be removed. The park intended to keep the ride in storage for a potential relocation elsewhere within the park. The removal of Wild Bull shortened construction time because no trees or buildings had to be removed. Construction began in late July 1998, with the first track arriving in August. Testing was completed in January 1999. [1]

Top Gun: The Jet Coaster soft opened to guests and media on March 16, 1999. [8] Riders of the first cycle included NASCAR drivers Stanton Barrett, Tony Stewart, Jerry Nadeau, and Kenny Wallace. [3] The ride officially opened to the public on March 20, 1999. [2] On July 1, 2006, the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company announced their acquisition of all of the Paramount Parks, including Carowinds. [3] The aforementioned Top Gun roller coasters at other parks were all renamed to Flight Deck by the 2008 season, with Carowinds' installation being renamed to Afterburn. [2] [5] [6] [7] [9] For the 2014 season, the ride's 15th season, Afterburn received a new coat of paint. [10]

Characteristics

The 2,956-foot-long (901 m) Afterburn stands 113 feet (34 m) tall. The ride features a total of six inversions including a vertical loop, an Immelmann loop, a zero-g roll, a batwing, and a corkscrew. Riders over 54 inches (1.37 m) achieve a top speed of 62 miles per hour (100 km/h) on the two-minute forty-seven second ride. Afterburn operates with two trains featuring eight cars. Each car seats riders four across, for a total of 32 riders per train. The theoretical hourly capacity of the ride is 1,380 riders. [1] [2]

Afterburn's Immelmann Afterburn (Carowinds) 02.JPG
Afterburn's Immelmann

To match the original Top Gun theme, the ride's area was designed to feel like a military base. The main queue was housed in a hangar with a two-thirds scale F14 Tomcat fighter. Guests enter the ride area by passing through the batwing element. [1]

Ride experience

As the train leaves the station, a recorded message, "Clear for Takeoff," is played. [11] Afterburn then climbs its chain lift hill, reaching a peak height of 113 feet (34 m). After a small pre-drop, the roller coaster train then drops to the right before entering its first inversion, a 90 foot (27 m) vertical loop. Riders then travel through a small ravine that dips below ground level and enter an Immelmann loop which sends the train in the opposite direction. The train then drops towards the ground, climbs back up, and spins through a zero-g roll, an inverting element where riders experience the feeling of weightlessness. Afterwards, the train dives back towards the ground and enters the double-inverting batwing element that crosses through a tunnel underneath the park's rear entrance. [2] [12]

After the train exits the batwing, it climbs through a camelback hill over the station before entering the final inversion, a corkscrew to the right. The train then begins a 200-degree turn while climbing to the left, after which it reaches the ride's brake run and returns to the station. [2] [12]

Reception

A train navigating Afterburn's zero-g roll Afterburn (Carowinds) 05.JPG
A train navigating Afterburn's zero-g roll

Afterburn has been well received. Arthur Levine of About.com stated the ride "is among the best inverted coasters" he's ridden, giving the ride a 4 out of 5 rating. Levine praises the ride for the lack of headbanging that results from over-the-shoulder-restraints (OTSR) on many roller coasters. [13] The Coaster Critic describes the "pacing and order of inversions [as] near perfect", giving the ride an "excellent" rating of 9 out of 10. [14]

Afterburn has appeared in Amusement Today 's annual Golden Ticket Awards several times. It debuted at position 18 in 1999, [15] before disappearing from the poll for 2000. [16] The ride returned to the poll from 2001 to 2008 before failing to rank between 2009 and 2011. In 2012 and 2013, Afterburn again ranked in the Golden Ticket Awards' list of top 50 steel coasters; however, since 2013 it has failed to place on the top-50 ranking. [17] [18]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019
Ranking18 [15] – [16] 34 [19] 46 [20] 39 [21] 40 [22] 29 [23] 32 [24] 41 [25] 39 [26] – [27] – [28] – [29] 45 [17] 35 [18] – [30] – [31] – [32] – [33] – [34] – [35]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverted roller coaster</span> Type of roller coaster

An inverted roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. Riders are seated in open cars, letting their feet swing freely. The inverted coaster was pioneered by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard in the early 1990s with the development of Batman: The Ride, which opened at Six Flags Great America on May 9, 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpengeist</span> Roller coaster

Alpengeist is an inverted roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Alpengeist has an Alpine mountain region theme and opened in 1997 as the tallest inverted coaster in the world. The name "Alpengeist" is German for "Ghost of the Alps" or "Alpine Spirit", and the ride is themed to a runaway ski lift. It has the records for the tallest complete circuit inverted coaster in the world, tallest inverted roller coaster in the United States, and the longest complete circuit coaster drop in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nemesis Reborn</span> Inverted coaster at Alton Towers

Nemesis Reborn, previously Nemesis, is an inverted roller coaster located at the Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire, England. It was manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) and designed by Werner Stengel, from a concept by park developer John Wardley. It opened in the Forbidden Valley area of the park on 19 March 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumba (roller coaster)</span> Ride at Busch Gardens Tampa

Kumba is a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened in 1993. It stands 143 feet (44 m) tall and has a top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Kumba features a total of seven inversions across the 3-minute ride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman: Krypton Coaster</span> Roller coaster in Texas, U.S.

Superman: Krypton Coaster is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Fiesta Texas amusement park in San Antonio. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Floorless Coaster model opened to the public in 2000 as one of the first of its kind in the world. The well-received ride held the title for the world's tallest vertical loop from its opening until 2013. Superman: Krypton Coaster stands 168 feet (51 m) tall and reaches a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raptor (Cedar Point)</span> Inverted roller coaster

Raptor is a steel inverted roller coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. The coaster, which broke many records upon its opening in 1994, differs from previous inverted coasters. Instead of having a short layout designed to fit into a compact area like Batman: The Ride, Raptor was designed with a larger, 3,790-foot (1,160 m) layout, making it the tallest, fastest and longest inverted roller coaster in the world when it opened. It features six inversions, including a cobra roll, a first for inverted roller coasters. The ride is themed as a bird of prey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montu (roller coaster)</span> Inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa

Montu is an inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Designed by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, it is the park's second roller coaster designed by that company following the success of Kumba, which opened 3 years prior. When the ride opened on May 16, 1996, it was the world's tallest and fastest inverted roller coaster, a title it has since conceded to Alpengeist at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The ride stands 150 feet (46 m) tall and reaches speeds of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel Vengeance</span> Roller coaster at Cedar Point

Steel Vengeance, formerly known as Mean Streak, is a steel roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. The roller coaster, originally constructed by Dinn Corporation as a wooden roller coaster, was rebuilt by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and opened to the public on May 5, 2018. It is a hybrid coaster, using RMC's steel I-Box track and a significant portion of Mean Streak's former support structure. Upon completion, Steel Vengeance set 10 world records, including those for the tallest, fastest, and longest hybrid roller coaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goliath (Six Flags Over Georgia)</span> Steel hyper coaster

Goliath is a steel roller coaster located at the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park in Cobb County, Georgia. The Hyper Coaster model manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard climbs to a height of 200 feet (61 m) and reaches a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h). Prior to its construction, the Great Gasp and Looping Starship attractions were removed to make room for Goliath, which opened to the public on April 1, 2006. It ranked as the fourth-best new ride of 2006 in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today and the ninth-best steel roller coaster overall, with its peak ranking of fourth occurring in 2009 and 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scream (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster

Scream is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Floorless Coaster model was the park's sixteenth roller coaster and is located in the Screampunk District area of the park. The 150-foot-tall (46 m) ride consists of a series of roller coaster elements including seven inversions ranging from a zero-g roll to interlocking corkscrews. The ride is a mirror image of Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nighthawk (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster

Nighthawk is a steel flying roller coaster located at Carowinds. Constructed by Vekoma, it is located in the Thunder Road section of the park. The roller coaster originally opened as Stealth at California's Great America on April 1, 2000. In 2003, Paramount Parks decided to relocate the roller coaster to Carowinds. It reopened as Borg Assimilator – the first coaster in the world to be themed to Star Trek – on March 20, 2004. After Cedar Fair purchased Carowinds in 2006, Paramount themes were soon removed from the park, and the ride was renamed Nighthawk. It is one of only two Flying Dutchman models still in existence from Vekoma, the other being Batwing at Six Flags America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volcano: The Blast Coaster</span> Defunct roller coaster at Kings Dominion

Volcano: The Blast Coaster, or simply Volcano, was an inverted launched roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, United States. Designed by Werner Stengel, it was the first launched roller coaster manufactured by Intamin and the first of its kind in the world to be inverted. Its launch mechanism utilized linear induction motor (LIM) technology. After a series of delays, Volcano opened to the public on August 3, 1998. A portion of the ride was enclosed inside an artificial mountain, constructed in 1979, which previously housed other attractions. Following nearly two decades of operation, Volcano abruptly closed a few weeks into the 2018 season, and the closure became permanent during the following offseason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phantom's Revenge</span> Roller coaster at Kennywood

Phantom's Revenge is a steel hypercoaster located at Kennywood amusement park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. It originally opened as Steel Phantom in 1991, featuring the fastest speed and longest drop of any roller coaster in the world. Its second drop is longer than its first, which is a unique characteristic among roller coasters. Manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, the ride was later modified and renovated by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing for the 2001 season when it reopened as Phantom's Revenge. The drop and track length were both increased, and its four inversions were removed, allowing for the removal of its uncomfortable over-the-shoulder restraints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diamondback (Kings Island)</span> Steel roller coaster

Diamondback is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the ride opened in 2009 as the first hypercoaster to feature a splashdown effect and the first B&M roller coaster at Kings Island. It is located in Rivertown just behind International Street and the Eiffel Tower. Diamondback was the biggest investment in Kings Island’s history at the time, costing $22 million to build, but that figure was surpassed in 2014 by Banshee. The coaster features a 230-foot (70 m) lift hill with a 215-foot (66 m) drop and a maximum speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). It is similar to Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland in statistics, layout, and seating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder Striker</span> Steel roller coaster at Carowinds

Thunder Striker, formerly known as Intimidator, is a steel roller coaster located at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Built by Bolliger & Mabillard and located in the Thunder Road section of the park, the ride opened to public on March 27, 2010. It features a 232-foot (71 m) lift hill, a top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h), and a track length of 5,316 feet (1,620 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medusa Steel Coaster</span> Steel roller coaster at Six Flags México

Medusa Steel Coaster, formerly known as simply Medusa, is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags México in Mexico City. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and designed by Alan Schilke, the ride opened to the public on 14 June 2014. It was originally a wooden coaster constructed by Custom Coasters International that debuted in June 2000. The wooden track was completely removed and replaced with RMC's I-Box track technology, a steel conversion that resulted in a new track layout with increased speed and the addition of three inversions. Medusa was generally well-received, ranking several times in the top 50 among steel roller coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outlaw Run</span> Roller coaster at Silver Dollar City

Outlaw Run is a wooden roller coaster located at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. Designed by Alan Schilke, Outlaw Run is the first wooden roller coaster manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and became the first wooden coaster with multiple inversions. It features a 162-foot (49 m) drop, three inversions, and a maximum speed of 68 mph (109 km/h), making Outlaw Run the sixth-fastest wooden coaster in the world. Its 81-degree first drop is also the fourth steepest in the world among wooden roller coasters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banshee (roller coaster)</span> Inverted roller coaster at Kings Island

Banshee is an inverted roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio, United States. Designed and manufactured by Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened to the public on April 18, 2014, and is the longest inverted coaster in the world, featuring a track length of 4,124 feet (1,257 m). Banshee was also the most expensive project in Kings Island's history at the time, costing the park $24 million to construct. The ride includes seven inversions and travels up to a maximum speed of 68 mph (109 km/h). It operates with three trains, each with eight cars, producing an hourly capacity of 1,650 riders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fury 325</span> Steel roller coaster at Carowinds

Fury 325 is a steel roller coaster located at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, Fury 325 opened to the public on March 28, 2015. It features a 6,602-foot-long (2,012 m) track that reaches a maximum height of 325 feet (99 m), making it the fifth-tallest roller coaster in the world and the tallest overall among roller coasters that use a traditional chain lift hill. Riders experience speeds of up to 95 mph (153 km/h), winding through high-speed curves and passing over and under the park's main entrance. Beginning in 2016, Fury 325 has consistently ranked as the world's best steel coaster in the annual Golden Ticket Awards published by Amusement Today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twisted Timbers</span> Steel roller coaster at Kings Dominion

Twisted Timbers is a hybrid roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. It originally opened as a wooden coaster named Hurler in 1994, designed and manufactured by International Coasters, Inc. It is an exact clone of Hurler at Carowinds. The ride closed for "extensive maintenance" in 2015 according to the park, which later teased in 2016 that Hurler was being replaced.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Muret, Don (July 13, 1998). "Top Gun shoots down Wild Bull at Paramount's Carowinds Park". Amusement Business. 110 (28): 42.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Marden, Duane. "Afterburn  (Carowinds)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  3. 1 2 3 Rutherford, Scott (2013). Carowinds. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 106–107. ISBN   9781467120036.
  4. ↑ "Afterburn Turns 20!". Carowinds.
  5. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Flight Deck  (California's Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  6. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Flight Deck  (Canada's Wonderland)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  7. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Bat  (Kings Island)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  8. ↑ "Flying high". The Post and Courier. March 17, 1999. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  9. ↑ O'Daniel, Adam (March 29, 2008). "Carowinds slashing season ticket prices". Herald Online. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  10. ↑ Carowinds (December 11, 2013). "Timeline Photos". Facebook. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Exhilarating Experience - 'Top Gun' Roller Coaster Fulfills Need For Speed - And Fear". The State. March 20, 1999.
  12. 1 2 "Afterburn Front Seat on-ride HD POV Carowinds". Coaster Force. YouTube. January 26, 2011. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  13. ↑ Levine, Arthur (2010). "Afterburn Roller Coaster at Carowinds Mini Review". About.com. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Afterburn @ Carowinds". The Coaster Critic. August 14, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  15. 1 2 "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 7B. August 1999.
  16. 1 2 "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . August 2000.
  17. 1 2 "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012.
  18. 1 2 "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 7B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 7B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 14–15B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 18–19B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007.
  23. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 26–27B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 26–27B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 11 (6.2): 36–37. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 12 (6.2): 36–37. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 13 (6.2): 32–33. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 14 (6.2): 34–35. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 15 (6.2): 38–39. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  30. ↑ "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014.
  31. ↑ "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015.
  32. ↑ "2016 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2016.
  33. ↑ "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2017.
  34. ↑ "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2018.
  35. ↑ "2019 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.